Foot supporter



Aug. 31, 1937. R. A. DAVIS, JR

FOOT SUPPORTER Filed Aug. 5, 1936 Patented Aug. 31, 1937 UNITED STATES FOOT SUPPORTER Robert A. Davis, Jr., Nampa, Idaho Application August 5,

10 Claims.

'Ihis invention has reference to foot-supporters or stays such as are attached to or built into a boot or shoe to support the foot or ankle of the wearer.

A conventional form of arch supporter comprises a specially shaped still pad of leather or metal fixed within the boot or shoe to support andA maintain thev arch of the foot by pushing upwardly th'ereagain'st. In another conventional form, the foot is' suspended in a ilexible pad or strap extending under the arch of the foot and ajustable for applying suspension pressure to the arch, the strap being adapted to encompass the in-step and suspended from the upper of the shoe on the side thereof corresponding to the outer side of the foot.

They efficacy of the conventional forms of arch-supporters as a proper corrective for foot ailments is greatly offset by the considerable foot-fatigue and discomfort suffered by the wearer due to the tendency of the supporters to restrict the free and natural movements of the foot.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a foot-supporter which adequately properly supports the foot without the disadvantage above mentioned and, with this end in view the present invention diiers radically from accepted practice in that it provides for flexible spring suspension of the arch of'the foot from a more or less vertical position by means of a specially designed foot-supporter which gives a twisting lift, side and back pull to the arch and ankle while at the saine time allowing the foot to function and' exercise in a substantially unrestrained and natural manner.

A- further object of the invention is to provide a foot-supporter of the above-described character which is inexpensive in construction and design and which can be either built into the shoe or boot or applied theretoas an attachment in a simple and convenient manner.

The objects and advantages of the invention are attained by the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and pointed out with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 isa perspective view of a conventional shoe with the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a cross section of the shoe as viewed in the direction from the toe to the heel;

Figure 3 is a view, in side elevation, of a part of the shoe and illustrating the torsional bend or twist of the spring suspension unit of the in- 55 vention.

1936, Serial No. 94,440

(Cl. 36m-8.5)`

The foot-supporter of the present invention, briefly described, comprises a spring suspension member and a flexible arch-engaging member connected together at one end and adapted to be iixed` to-a` shoey at their other ends so as to 5 extend. vertically upward of the side of the shoe corresponding to the outer side of the foot; the arch-engaging member beingl held taut by the tension ofv the suspension member and the latter being adapted to, be exed or bowed to dispose its upper or suspension end vertical-ly above the opposite or inner side of the foot when the archengaging member is pulled down into the shoe andinto position'under the arch ofthe foot by the pressurev of `the latter thereagainst. 15

In the embodiment illustrated, the spring suspension' member consists of a length of flexible spring wire or rod having a normally straight shank portion l and a bent or bowed portion la; the latter terminating in a hook 2 for insertiony d v through'any eyelet 3y in the arch-engaging member. The arch-engaging member is preferably a ilexible strap or pad 4 ci soft pliable leather or like material of `a. rwidth to provide adequate support surface for the arch of the foot.

In applyingthe device to a conventional shoe, such as illustrated at 5, a downwardly and transversely directed hole is drilled in the heel 6 near the forward edge of the latter externally of the shoe and lined with a metal ferrule or cup 1 to provide a socket for the reception of the end 8 of the spring rod l. The socket l is preferably placed so as to be on the outer side of the shoe whether it be a right-foot shoe or a left-foot shoe. That is, the socket is located so as to be on the side of the shoe corresponding to the outer side of the foot. The spring rod extends vertically upward from the socket with its bowed end elevated above the top of the shoe and normally lying in` a vertical plane substantially at right angles to the horizontal plane of the shoe.

The strap 4, which is suspended from the hook of the bowed portion, has its lower portion lla.' disposed within the shoe and pivoted at its end to the shank of the inner sole at a point closely adjacent the location of socket l by means of a rivet or other fastener 9. The initial tension of the springrod is such that, when the shoe is not upon the foot, the strap is held taut between its lower shoe-attached end and its upper springsuspended end and to one side of the shoe as indicated in dotted linesin Figure 2.

In use, the shoe may be placed upon the foot with the supporter in either a coupled or unv eyelet.

porter when engaged with the foot is indicatedcoupled state. In the first instance, the foot is inserted between the rod and the strap and pushed down into the shoe with the strap extending under the arch of the foot. .In the second instance the uncoupled strap is laid crosswise withinthe shoe to extend beneath the arch of the foot with its eyelet end protruding upwardly and outwardly of the shoe on the inner side of the foot. 'I'he bowed end of the spring rod is then bent forward, and inwardly or sidewise, and downwardly to engage the hook with the The position assumed by the foot-supin the full lines structures of Figures 2 and 3. With the foot fully inserted in the shoe and the strap under the arch of the foot, the outwardly extending portion lby of the strap is disposed forwardly of the normal transverse Vertical plane of the spring rod I with the result that the rod undergoes a torsional strain or twist when the portion 4b is pulled forward and over and downwardly to the opposite side of the shoe. In this flexed condition of the spring suspension the point of suspension of the arch represented at 2 and 3, is in a more or less vertical position above the arch of the foot on the inner side of the latter and since both the spring and the strap are spaced above the in-step, as indicated at x, there is no encompassing of the foot so as to restrict its free and natural movements. The pressure of the arch downward is opposed by the resistance of the flexed spring rod I and the latter, by reason of its natural tendency to regain its original position, exerts a torsional lift, side and back pull to the arch and ankle of the foot. The spring and vstrap thus provide flexible spring suspension of the arch from a more or less Vertical position and at the same time allow the foot to function and exercise in a natural manner.

It is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure represents but one of several possible lapplications of the invention and that changes in form, structure and method of attachment may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is-' 1. In a foot-supporter, the combination with a shoe of an arch-engaging element having one end attached to the shoe, and a spring suspension member attached to the shoe and supporting the free end of the arch-engaging element, said member being torsionally deformed to exert a twisting lift, side and back pull to the arch and ankle.

2. In a foot-supporter, the combination with a shoe of an arch-engaging element having one end attached to the shoe, and a bowed spring attached to the shoe and resiliently supporting the free end of the arch-engaging element, said bowed spring being torsionally deformed lto exert a twisting lift, side and back pull to the arch and ankle.

3. A foot-supporter comprising a shoe, a transversely disposed arch-engaging element within the shoe to be passed under the arch of the foot, said arch-engaging element having one end attached to the shoe and having an eyelet in its free end, and a vertically disposed spring suspension member attached at its lower end to the heel of the shoe and having a hook at its upper end for insertion through the said eyelet of the arch-engaging element when said element is un- K der the arch of the foot.

shoe to extend vertically of the upper at the outer side of the shoe and an arch-engaging strap suspended at one end from the upper end of the spring member and at its lower end depending into the shoe and attached to the shoe at the 5 outer edge of the shank of the insole, said strap being of a length that when held down in arch supporting position within the shoe by the pressure of the foot thereagainst the resultant flexing ofthe spring member is such as to dispose the l0 upper end of the member inwardly over the shoe to give flexible spring suspension of 'the arch from a more or less vertical position thereabove.

5. A foot-supporter comprising a shoe having a socket in the heel thereof, a flexible spring 15 rod extending vertically of one side of the shoe with one end engaged in said socket, and a flexible strap fixed at one end to the outer edge of the shank of the insole for positioning crosswise of the shank and under the arch of the foot 20 with its free end terminating at a point vertically above the shoe on the inner side thereof and below and laterally remote from the upper end of the rod, said strap having means at its free end for connection with the upper end of the rod '25 and said rod being offset relatively to the strap when the latter is in arch-supporting position within the shoe so as to require distortion of its upper end forwardly and downwardly and inwardly for connection with the free end of the*30 strap.

6. A foot-supporter comprising a shoe, a strap v adapted to extend under the arch of the foot and fastened at one end within the shoe, and a spring l suspension member fixed to the shoe and con-E3 nected with the other end of the strap to resiliently suspend the same in raised position relative to the insole of the shoe, said strap and said spring member being so combined, constructed and arranged relative to each other and to the shoe;f10 thatA when the strap is engaged by and drawn 'down in the shoe by the pressure of the foot thereagainst of the spring member will be torsionally deformed and will exert a twisting lift, side and back pull to the arch and ankle. 1:45

'7. A foot-supporter comprising a shoe having an external socket on the side thereof corresponding to the outer side of the foot, a exible spring fixed in said socket and extending vertically upward therefrom with its free end above the topfof the shoe, and a flexible strap suspended from the upward end of the spring and pivotally attached at its lower end to the outer edge of the shank of the insole of the shoe to be drawn down and forwardly in position under the arch of thef foot by the pressure of the latter thereagainst with a resultant downward and torsional flexion of the said spring.

8. A foot-supporter comprising a shoe having a socket on one side thereof, a spring rod supported'o in said socket and extending vertically upward therefrom and above the top of the shoe with its upper end disposed over the outer edge of the insole and rearwardly of the shank of the insole, and a strap suspended from the upper end of theA spring rod and attached at its lower end to the outer edge of the shank of the shoe to provide a foot receiving sling adapted against the resistance of the rod to be drawn down into the shoe and to be held in position under the arch by th" pressure of the foot.

9. A foot-supporter comprising a shoe, a spring rod having one end attached to the shoe and its free end substantially at a vertical elevation above the top of the shoe, and a flexible strap suspended from the free end of the rod and attached to the inside of the shoe to provide jointly with the rod a foot receiving sling extending transversely of and above the outer upper of the shoe, said strap serving as an arch-engaging member to be drawn down into the shoe and to be held in position under the arch of the foot by the pressure of the foot thereagainst and said rod being tensioned to hold the strap taut for applying suspending pressure to the said arch.

10. The combination with a shoe of a footsupporter comprising a spring suspension member and a flexible arch-engaging member connected together at one end and xed to the shoe at their other ends so as to extend vertically upward of the outer quarter of the shoe with the arch-engaging member adjacent the inner side of the said quarter and held taut by the tension of the spring member, said spring member being on the outside of the said quarter whereby when the arch-engaging member is positioned transversely under the arch of the foot and drawn down into the shoe by the pressure of the arch thereagainst the spring member is flexed inwardly to dispose its upper or suspension end in a position more or less vertically above the opposite or inner side of the shoe.

ROBERT A. DAVIS, JR. 

